Washington, D.C. is associated with a great many things...but R&B? Leave it to German label Bear Family to take the emphasis off politics to uncover a lost chapter of the American capital's rich story. R&B in D.C. 1940-1960 is the name of the upcoming LP-size, 16-CD box set comprehensively surveying two decades of regional music as only Bear Family can - with 472 tracks (that's around 20 hours of music) and a 352-page hardcover book. This one-of-a-kind set is due on September 3 and
All I Want: Joni Mitchell Releases "Blue 50" EP with Unreleased Tracks, "Archives Vol. 2" Arrives in October
Fifty years ago tomorrow -June 22, 1971 - Joni Mitchell released Blue. The singer-songwriter's fourth studio album, Blue was raw, intense, emotional, beautiful, moving, and hugely influential. In short, it was the kind of album that only comes along once a generation - if that. Mitchell recently discussed its legacy with filmmaker-journalist Cameron Crowe for The Los Angeles Times. She observed, "The most feedback that I got was that I had gone too far and was exposing too much of myself. I
Get In The Swing: Waxwork Preps Soundtrack to Sparks Documentary "The Sparks Brothers"
Director Edgar Wright's new film The Sparks Brothers (in theatres now) rewrites the book on music documentaries. The film about cult band Sparks - a.k.a. brothers Ron and Russell Mael, long more popular in Europe than in the U.S. - doesn't have much in the way of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. As for what it does have of "rock and roll," it's something altogether more outré, not to mention endlessly inventive. The Sparks Brothers sheds little light on Ron and Russell Mael's personal lives and
Do I Ever Cross Your Mind: Ray Charles' Post-Atlantic Recordings Explored on "True Genius" Box Set
Ray Charles formed Tangerine Records in 1962 as part of the creative freedom he earned by jumping from Atlantic Records to ABC-Paramount. In addition to many of his Charles' own recordings, Tangerine issued music from Louis Jordan, Percy Mayfield, Jimmy Scott, Ike and Tina Turner, and other artists championed by The Genius. The label closed in 1973 when Charles departed the ABC roster, but the Ray Charles Foundation has recently reactivated it for a special 6-CD anthology celebrating its
Good Grief! "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" Returns on Pumpkin-Shaped Vinyl
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! The Emmy-nominated 1966 television special was the third overall for Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts series and the second to be holiday-themed, after A Charlie Brown Christmas. It earned a whopping 49 share in the ratings and was so successful that CBS re-aired it every year through 2000, with ABC picking up the tradition after that. Yet despite a beloved score by Vince Guaraldi (who else?), a soundtrack album to Great Pumpkin had never been released in any
Wrong Side of the Tracks: Run Out Groove Reissues Biohazard's "Urban Discipline," Votes Open for Next Release with Monkees, More
The votes are in, and the next title to be released by Run Out Groove will be a 2-LP, 30th anniversary deluxe vinyl edition of metal band Biohazard's 1992 sophomore album Urban Discipline. Pre-orders are open now for this set which will feature bonus tracks making their debut on vinyl as well as an exclusive fold-out poster. The Brooklyn-formed band came together in 1987 and is now recognized as one of the earliest groups to fuse hardcore metal, punk, and rap/hip-hop. The four-piece line-up
Shine It on Me: Cherry Red Celebrates Guitarist Ray Fenwick on New Anthology
In a career spanning eight decades, guitarist Ray Fenwick has played pop, prog, hard rock, rhythm and blues, rock-and-roll, and just about every genre conceivable. He's curated a new 3-CD compendium for Cherry Red's Lemon imprint appropriately entitled Playing Through the Changes: Anthology 1964-2020, bringing together 61 tracks (some previously unreleased and new to CD) on which his guitar is heard alongside The Spencer Davis Group, Roger Glover, Ronnie James Dio, David Coverdale, Bo Diddley,
Tenor Madness: John Coltrane's Sideman Work with Davis, Rollins, Monk, More Explored on "Another Side of John Coltrane"
Before recording his first solo session as a leader in May 1957, John Coltrane had already established his mastery of the saxophone as an in-demand sideman. He'd previously appeared on albums by Dizzy Gillespie, Earl Bostic, Johnny Hodges, Sonny Rollins, and Miles Davis; even after "graduating" to leader status, he continued to appear on albums by his many friends. Now, Craft Recordings is collecting the best of Coltrane the sideman on a new collection. Another Side of John Coltrane, due on
Bohemian Rhapsodies: A Closer Look at Vinyl Me Please's Reissues of Queen's "A Night at the Opera" and Al Green's "Call Me"
In April, record club Vinyl Me Please announced that it would be restoring some previously out-of-print titles to the catalogue to celebrate 100 releases in the club's Essentials series. (See the list of all ten titles here.) We've given a spin to the re-presses of Queen's A Night at the Opera and Al Green's Call Me. For Queen, too much was never enough. That attitude is perhaps best embodied by the band's fourth album, 1975's A Night at the Opera. While the title was derived from the Marx
Who Would Have Dreamed: Kritzerland Reissues More Cole Porter, Maltby and Shire Musical "The Sap of Life"
Today we're looking at two upcoming releases from the Kritzerland label. Kritzerland is continuing its series of Ben Bagley's Revisited titles with the third entry dedicated to the music and lyrics of Cole Porter. The Peru, Indiana native was among the most sophisticated tunesmiths of an era brimming with them. The master of wordplay also overflowed with melody, and Ben Bagley dedicated numerous releases to exploring the lesser-known side of his song catalogue from the cast recording of his
I'd Have You Anytime: George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" Celebrates 50 Years with Deluxe Box, More
When George Harrison's All Things Must Pass was released in November 1970, The Beatles seemed to be in the rearview mirror. The Fab Four had last recorded together in August 1969. John Lennon privately announced his intentions to leave the group in September of that year; in April 1970, Paul McCartney formalized the breakup with a press release announcing he was no longer working with the band. All Things Must Pass was titled after Harrison's majestic, elegiac composition which was written
After Midnight: Eric Clapton's Solo Debut Expanded to 4 CDs on Upcoming Box Set
Following incendiary stints with The Yardbirds, John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Blind Faith, Eric Clapton struck out on his own in late 1969. By March 1970, he'd amassed enough material to comprise his solo debut for Polydor (in the U.K.) and Atco (in the U.S.). Released in August of that year, Eric Clapton reintroduced the guitar god. It still showcased his fiery blues riffs but in service of a more laid-back blend of pop, soul, gospel, and country. On August 20, UMe and
Oooh-Oooh-Oooh: Craft Recordings Marks 75 Years of Specialty Records with New Compilation
Like so many others, Art Rupe came to California to find fame and fortune. But in doing so, Rupe broke new ground. The Pennsylvania native had grown up listening to the music coming from the local, primarily African-American Baptist church. He'd fallen in love with gospel and studied the adjacent sounds of rhythm and blues which were growing in popularity. Rather than water down the music in a supposed attempt to reach white audiences, he was determined to release it with all its raw power.
Honky Tonk Stardust Cowboy: Cherry Red, Morello Reissue Three Columbia Albums from Lefty Frizzell
Cherry Red's Morello imprint is opening up the honky-tonks. The label has remembered late country legend Lefty Frizzell with an expanded three-for-one release drawn from Frizzell's mid-sixties recordings for Columbia Records (where his recording career began in 1950). Saginaw, Michigan/The Sad Side of Love/Puttin' On + 16 Bonus Tracks offers a total of 51 tracks including three complete albums and a selection of singles spanning 1964-1971. William Orville "Lefty" Frizzell (1928-1975) was
Be Aware: Barbra Streisand Reopens the Vaults for "Release Me 2"
Somewhere in the world, someone is cold/Be aware/And while you're feeling young, someone is old/Be aware/And while your stomach's full, somewhere in this world, someone is hungry/When there is so much, should anyone be hungry? On Sunday, March 14, 1971, CBS-TV aired Singer Presents Burt Bacharach. The composer's variety special welcomed Tom Jones, Rudolf Nureyev, and Barbra Streisand. After Bacharach and Streisand performed an intimate, close-up rendition of "(They Long to Be) Close to
Better Than All the Rest: Tina Turner's 'Foreign Affair' Set for Box Set Release
Tina Turner's Foreign Affair is about to get a lot bigger. The stature certainly befits the artist who was recently voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo performer; her Broadway musical Tina is scheduled to resume performances on October 8 and the HBO documentary of the same name is currently streaming. On July 16, Rhino and Parlophone will revisit Turner's 1989 album in a variety of formats including a 4CD/DVD Super Deluxe Edition and 2CD and 2LP Deluxe Editions. Tina's
Long Promised Road: Beach Boys' "Feel Flows" Box Set for July Release
Unfolding enveloping missiles of soul/Recall senses sadly/Mirage like soft blue like lanterns below/To light the way gladly... The Beach Boys' spellbinding 1971 song "Feel Flows" may be the most famous obscure song in the band's catalogue. Cameron Crowe adopted it for the closing credits of his coming-of-age film Almost Famous (soon to receive a mega-expansion on CD and vinyl), and it's also featured on the soundtrack to the new Apple Music documentary 1971. The Mike Love-led Beach Boys are
Mood Indigo: BMG Reissues Nina Simone's Debut "Little Girl Blue" on CD and LP
BMG is continuing to celebrate the legacy of late trailblazer Nina Simone with an upcoming reissue of her 1959 debut album for Bethlehem Records, Little Girl Blue. The remastered stereo album will arrive on CD, LP, and digital services on August 13. Though it didn't see release until February 1959, Little Girl Blue - so named for the Rodgers and Hart standard introduced in their Broadway musical Jumbo - was actually recorded in one session near the end of 1957. Although Simone was
Oh What a Night for Love: Mint Audio Continues Peter Skellern Anthology Series with "The Complete Island and Mercury Recordings"
When Mint Audio Records left Peter Skellern on The Complete Decca Recordings, the British singer-songwriter-pianist had completed his 1972-1975 tenure at Decca Records after three studio albums and one odds-and-ends collection. Now, Mint has continued the Skellern story with the release of a new 3-CD set, The Complete Island and Mercury Recordings, covering 1975-1982 via six full albums and a handful of bonus tracks. This beautiful anthology chronicles his path from singer-songwriter to
Piano and I: Alicia Keys Revisits Her Debut Album "Songs in A Minor" with Previously Unissued Bonus Tracks
Alicia Keys' 2001 debut Songs in A Minor quickly established the singer-songwriter-pianist as a musical force with which to be reckoned. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 1, going on to sell roughly 12 million copies worldwide and earning five Grammy Awards for the young artist as well as a 7x Platinum certification. The LP was the breakthrough success for Clive Davis' J Records label, proving without a doubt that the golden-eared hitmaker hadn't lost his touch. This Friday, Songs
Dance Tunes for The Underdog: Omnivore Remembers Mumps, "American Family" Icon Lance Loud with New Anthology
Before The Real Housewives, The Osbournes, and The Real World, there was An American Family. The twelve-part 1973 PBS documentary series chronicled the day-to-day life of the Loud family of Santa Barbara, California. It's now considered a prototype for modern-day reality television: its 300-plus hours of filming yielded footage of Pat Loud breaking up with her husband Bill after 21 years of marriage and of their son Lance's coming out as gay. Lance was the breakout star of the program, and
In Memoriam: B.J. Thomas (1942-2021)
I can't stop this feelin' deep inside of me/Girl, you just don't realize what you do to me... For more than five decades, we've been hooked on the feelings imparted in song by B.J. Thomas: the despair of "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," the soaring optimism of "I Just Can't Help Believin'," the longing of "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song," the unfettered spirit of "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," and the sheer euphoria of "Hooked on a Feeling." Oklahoma-born,
Love It Loud: KISS Inaugurate Official Bootleg Series with 2001 Gig in Tokyo
On June 27 and 28, A&E will air director D.J. Viola's two-part documentary film KISStory as part of the network's Biography series. The four-hour documentary aims to become the definitive chronicle of KISS' roughly 50-year history and features interviews with Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer, producer Bob Ezrin, manager Doc McGhee, and famous fans including Dave Grohl and Tom Morello. (No word on whether founding members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss were interviewed for
Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life: Stage Door Preps Second Volume of RCA's "Show Time" Series of Classic Musicals
By 1953, RCA Victor already boasted a considerable number of Broadway classics in its catalogue - from original cast recordings of Brigadoon and Paint Your Wagon to studio cast renditions of South Pacific and Finian's Rainbow. But the label was eager to build up its musical theatre repertoire and compete with the likes of Columbia and Decca. To that end, the Show Time series was launched - a collection of 16 EPs, each dedicated to four songs from a beloved musical or operetta. The EPs were
Grapefruit Round-Up: Cherry Red Imprint Reissues Cult Favorite from Oberon, Collects Prog and Classic Rock Sounds on New Box Sets
Today, we're looking at three recent releases from Cherry Red's Grapefruit imprint! Grapefruit is continuing its series of 3-CD clamshell cases with two titles spotlighting the 1970s. Riding the Rock Machine: British Seventies Classic Rock, available now, is certainly one of the broadest such releases in Grapefruit's series. Compiler David Wells sets out his mission statement in straightforward fashion: "[Such] is the reductive nature of radio station playlists and Spotify recommendations
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